Questions : Which one of the following states was ruled by an Italian princely house before the unification of Italy? [AI 2011]
Answer: Sardinia-Piedmont
Additional Information
Before the unification of Italy in the 19th century, various regions of the Italian peninsula were ruled by different princely houses and foreign powers. Below are some key regions and the Italian princely houses or rulers associated with them:
### 1. Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont
House of Savoy
- Ruled by the Savoy dynasty, which played a leading role in Italian unification.
- Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia, became the first King of unified Italy in 1861.
### 2. Grand Duchy of Tuscany
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
- A cadet branch of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty ruled Tuscany.
- The Grand Duchy was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy during the unification.
### 3. Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
House of Bourbon-Parma
- Ruled by a branch of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty.
### 4. Duchy of Modena and Reggio
House of Este
- A prominent princely house in northern Italy, ruling Modena and Reggio.
### 5. Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
House of Bourbon
- Ruled southern Italy, including Sicily and Naples.
- Conquered by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the unification and annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
### 6. Papal States
- Ruled by the Pope as both a spiritual and temporal leader.
- The Papal States were annexed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1870.
### 7. Republics and Smaller States
- Independent republics like Venice and Genoa were prominent in earlier centuries but were absorbed into larger entities before unification.
These princely houses and rulers contributed to Italy’s fragmented political landscape, which the Risorgimento movement sought to unify under a single Italian kingdom.
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